Sam's story

‘It’s one of the best things I’ve ever done’

Sam, a CHAP at Shawcross care home in The Wirral, was put forward for the CHAP role by her Home Manager who spotted Sam’s caring nature, determination and potential. Here, Sam shares her story:

Sam says:

I started working in care as a cleaner in a care home when I was 18, then progressively worked my way up to becoming a CHAP.

I describe the CHAP role as a person who works alongside the nurse and takes off some of the responsibility and pressure so they can get on with the more clinical stuff.

The home I work in has 51 beds so one way I support the nurse is to give the residents their medication, I’ll do one floor and she’ll do the other but she’s always there for support.

We get support from everyone in the team too, like the care assistants if they need help I’ll jump on and if I need assistance they’ll do the same, it’s like one big happy family.

The application and training process is intense but if you’ve got a good nurse training you it makes it easier. I was trained 4 years ago by the Deputy Manager at the time and we had a great relationship. It was my proudest moment when I qualified and got my certificate because I knew my hard work had paid off.

I go home satisfied every day knowing that I’ve helped a resident, such as keeping them out of pain. I absolutely love it, it’s one of the best things I’ve ever done.

In the future, I want to progress on to become a qualified nurse and the CHAP programme has put me on that path because I see what the nurses do and think I want to do that – and hopefully I’ll achieve it in the next 10 years.